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When vessels engaged in towing, the tow line should not exceed the length of the vessel being towed or two and a half times the length of the towing vessel, whichever is greater and in no circumstances other than in an emergency should a tow line be longer than 100 metres;
Appropriate lights and signals must be displayed; and
Not more than two vessels may be towed by a single tug at one time.
A pamphlet using cartoons to demonstrate the essential points of good seamanship will be distributed to vessel operators. Copies of the phamplet are also available from the Marine District Offices and from the Marine Department Homepage on the Internet at http://www.info.gov.hk/mardep.
End
Board dogs in licensed places
Pet owners who want to board their animals are advised to put them in licensed boarding establishments.
The appeal was made today (Thursday) by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD) following media reports of advertisements in a public housing estate inviting tenants to put their dogs into a boarding place.
An AFD senior veterinary officer, Dr K.K. Liu said that people putting pets in unlicensed boarding establishments could place their animals at risk of unnecessary suffering because of sub-standard facilities and services offered there.
"These unlicensed premises are, after all, already breaching the Public Health (Animals) (Boarding Establishment) Regulations," Dr Liu said.
He pointed out that the department is still investigating the reports to see if there are illegal practices involved.
Dr Liu also took the opportunity to remind public housing tenants who are unable to keep their animals to arrange for them to be placed in the care of others or humanely destroyed.